Sharp Aquos LC-30HV4U 30-Inch LCD Flat-Panel HD-Ready TV

by Sharp

Product Details

Product Manual [4.28mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 39.4 x 19.6 inches ; 27.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 45 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00009NFEQ
• Item model number: LC-30HV4U
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,629 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Do it with quality, do it in style. Make the move to widescreen, flat-panel elegance with Sharp's 30-inch, widescreen, HDTV- and PC-compatible LC-30HV4U Advanced Super View LCD television. Part of Sharp's stylish AQUOS line, the 1,280 x 768-resolution LC-30HV4U offers a 16:9 aspect ratio to match your favorite movies, as well as high-definition resolution up to 720p (progressive-scan).

Sharp's flat-panels are a fraction of the width of traditional CRT TVs.

At a mere 3 inches deep, the set is perfect for wall mounting, though it comes with a table stand for desktop positioning. The set also includes detachable speakers with 10 watts per channel audio power.

Sharp's ASV panel offers exceptionally wide horizontal and vertical viewing angles, so you can watch TV from anywhere in the room.

The Advanced Super View screen offers exceptionally wide (170-by- 170-degree) viewing angles and a high contrast ratio of 500:1 for super-black blacks. Its high brightness (430 cd/m2) ensures wide dynamic range for vivid colors, great depth, and realism. You can place it anywhere--near windows, doors, or other light sources--and its picture will remain vivid. And, with its 60,000-hour lamp life, the backlight life is long enough to give you viewing pleasure for many years. A built-in 181-channel tuner lets you plug your cable TV right into the LC-30HV4U and start watching.

AQUOS TVs strive for a high level of energy efficiency.

AQUOS LCD TVs are Energy Star compliant devices, and consume up to 60% less power than CRT systems and about half as much power as comparable plasma TVs.

Two-tuner POP (picture-on-picture) includes a pair of independent cable TV tuners so you can watch two programs side-by-side, or record one program while watching another.

Being too thin to house its many connections (a direct-digital DVI input, two high-definition component-video inputs, four each S-video and composite-video, and an XGA-resolution PC input), the LC-30HV4U comes with a stand-alone AVC System--a set-top box that houses all terminals, minimizes clutter, and preserves the panel's austere look. (For greater placement flexibility, Sharp makes an optional 30-foot extension cable for this device, model AN-PZAVC1.)

What's in the Box
LCD TV, detachable speakers, AVC system (set-top box with all terminals and a short connection cable), table stand, and user's manual.

From the Manufacturer

The LC-30HV4U combines the elegance of AQUOS Liquid Crystal Television design with a widescreen 30" Advanced Super View panel that is HDTV-compatible (720p) and PC-compatible. The AVC System, a separate box that houses all terminal connections, minimizes clutter around the panel itself, preserving the clean look which is ideal for wall-mounting.

Features:

• Panel Type: 30" Active Matrix (a-si TFT) Advanced Super View LCD
• Pixel Resolution: Wide XGA (1280 x 768)
• Video System: NTSC
• Brightness: 430 cd/m2
• Lamp Type/Life: Edge-Light System, CFL / 60,000 hours
• Viewing Angles: 170º H / 170º V
• Audio System: Two 10 watt speakers
• Tuner Type: Electronic PLL Tuner
• Limited Warranty: 1 year parts and labor
• Contrast Ratio: 500:1
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Color Temperature: 8,300º K
• DVI Input: DVI-D x 1
• PC Input: 15-pin D-sub x 1
• HD Component Input: Y/Pr/Pb x 2
• S-Video Input: 4-pin DIN x 4
• Composite Video Input: RCA x 4
• Table Stand: Included
• Wall Mount Bracket: Optional Accessory
• Power Consumption AC: 116W
• S-Video Output: 15-pin D-sub x 1
• Audio Output: RCA L/R x 3
• Dimensions (w x h x d): 39.4" x 23.9" x 12" (with speakers and table stand); 30.1" x 19.6" x 3.2" (without speakers and table stand)
• Weight: 44.3 lbs. (with speakers and table stand), 27.8 (without speakers and table stand)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best money can by, October 12, 2004

By 

Gadgester "No Time, No Money" (Mother Earth) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC-30HV4U 30-Inch LCD Flat-Panel HD-Ready TV (Electronics)

Well, I'm an unhappy shopper! This 30" widescreen LCD from Sharp was the one I really wanted to buy, after salivating over it many times at my local Best Buy, but because it was well over two grand (plus I was unemployed), so I could only look but not own. Finally I got a cheaper Olevia set, which I'm happy with, but now that Amazon has lowered the price on this Sharp, I wish I had waited. The Sharp's image quality and overall reliability makes it worth the several extra hundred dollars.

Ok, enough venting from me. In case you haven't compared the various LCD TVs from different brands in person, there's no doubt that Sharp's LCD offerings are among the best. Compared to other brands (including my beloved Syntax Olevia), Sharp offers these following advantages:

- Top-of-class image quality. Well some other companies may cite higher contrast or brightness in their tech specs, none offers the same kind of image quality that you'll perceive *subjectively* as Sharp's high-end LCD TVs. Whether it's live sports or the latest DVD movies, the Sharp just does it better. Maybe they use better liquid crystals, or (more likely) better signal processors, Sharp LCDs just give you a better picture.

- Better black-level details than other brands. LCD TVs are notorious for failing to reproduce details in the dark end of the spectrum. If you enjoy movies with lots of dark scenes, you should probably stick with a CRT like Sony's Trinitron. The new Sharp models are better than most, though.

- More refined styling and user interface. Older Sharp Aquos models had the typical first-generation bland looks, but the latest models are stylish and cool.

- Better reliability. I speak this from experience (my own and my friends'). LCD monitors (like all other monitors) have limited bulb life. Almost all LCD TVs you'll encounter now claim "up to 60,000 hours" of bulb life. But when you compare the Sharp with a Syntax or Westinghouse or HP or LG, you'll notice that the Sharp has a more solid feel, which gives you more confidence over its life span than with the other brands. (If you are a Mac or Sony fan, you know what I'm talking about.)

I think if money is tight but you still want an LCD TV, you should consider the Syntax Olevia model. But for the best LCD TV money can buy, get a Sharp. This 30" is good if your viewing distance is less than 8 feet -- a rule of thumb is the you should get a screen size four times the viewing distance. If you want a bigger screen, LCD TVs aren't the answer yet -- the 37" Sharp Aquos costs twice as much as this 30" model! For bigger screens you may want to consider a plasma (Hitachi and Panasonic and Pioneer are the best) or (gasp!) DLP or LCD-based rear projection TV. But for freedom from screen burn-in, better image quality than plasma, and thinness, LCD is the way to go, and this Sharp, at the new price, is simply the best.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharp and Stylish and Family Friendly, October 16, 2004

By 

DR Moussey (VT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC-30HV4U 30-Inch LCD Flat-Panel HD-Ready TV (Electronics)

UPDATE 16/10/2004-- IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE PICTURES OF THIS TV, HEAD ON OVER TO TIGERDIRECT WEBSITE. THEY GOT A LOT OF DETAILED PHOTOS.

In choosing an Lcd Tv, there are a couple important things to keep in mind: one, video-image quality-- not just what the specs claim for contrast ratios and response times, but what _YOU_ as a human viewer think of the image, and two, is the Tv going to last a long time? Lcd is fragile, and it's expensive!

I searched long for a colour Lcd Tv. The only thing I knew for sure was I wanted a 27 or 30 inch set for affordability considerations. The previous reviewer about right: 30" is good from about 8-10 feet-- 2-3 meters for us who prefer metrics. I think you ought to go to a store and see for yourself what screen size is good for you.

To borrow an analogy from the Mp3 world, the Sharp 30" Tv is like combining the style and friendliness of the iPod and the unmatched output quality of a Creative Zen. Well-- the sound on the Sharp itself is acceptable but not home theatre grade. You should get your own audio setup-- my suggestions include Onkyo, Yahmaha, so forth. What it excels is topclass video quality. Prior to getting this Tv, I spent many hours doing homework and watching tons of Tv in stores. My end conclusion was, Sharp has the best quality-- plus smart cable management so all those messy Av cables get hidden. Since I was going to spend a bloody bunch of money on a Tv, I expected it to be topclass and perform like a champ. What pleasantly surprised me was this excellent 30" Tv was actualy cheaper than many 'no-name' brands I found at CircuitCity, BestBuy, and other stores.

I just got my Tv last night, and so far it's met and exceeded my expectations. I had seen it many times at Tweeter's, but now that I have one in my living room, I realise how much better it looks, aesthetically and video-wise. O yah, you _SHOULD_ get the Avid tuning disc which you can order for $35 from Amazon.

My summary: Lcd Tv is still a high-expense item for most families, but if you've got the money, go for the best-- Sharp Aquos Lcd Tv!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great View, October 6, 2004

By 

A Movie Buff (south central Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sharp Aquos LC-30HV4U 30-Inch LCD Flat-Panel HD-Ready TV (Electronics)

I've owned this TV since mid July, with VOOM satellite TV service as my primary television provider and a digital tuner for local stations. I knew the picture was going to be good even with the resolution at 720, but when I watch high-definition programming like Discovery Channel HD, I feel like someone has improved my eyesight! Sporting events like Monday Night Football are especially, remarkably clear. One can adjust the color to be brilliant as you like to make the picture even more dazzling.

This TV handles a lot of formats (standard TV "box" to widescreen DVDs) easily with its options for zooming, sidebars, etc., which is great for the many movies and TV series I watch on DVD. I often have friends over to watch movies and they all love the screen size, it's like having a movie theater in my living room. Also, it's very lightweight -- probably half as heavy as my old 27" glass tube TV -- so it's easy to lift and move. That isn't necessary often since the screen tilts up and down and side to side when you need it to. The side views are pretty good, but still just not quite as good as full-on; the absence of glare from lights or windows is a bonus.

Down sides? Poor source material (old movies not cleaned up) and regular resolution channels don't come across as well, mainly of course because you can't make fuzzy material better -- you have to start with quality images to begin with. Some channels are better than others, and some people may be slightly disappointed. But that isn't a huge or very noticeable thing, and certainly still quite viewable. A purist may be unhappy that this doesn't display at the full 1080, but if they can tell the difference between that and 720, they've got better eyesight than most of us. The stretch format cuts the bottom off subtitles from DVDs... but I already knew what Jabba was going to say anyways. :)

Never had to call tech support, setup wasn't difficult, loved it ever since. If you have the bucks, consider this one.